Time to pick up the pace a little, CD Tenerife took on Real Sociedad last night for the Teide Trophy in La Orotava, there was to be no pre season silverware though, as their former Segunda division rivals snatched  a 1-0 win. Leaving the scorching south, we found the chill and cloud of the La Orotava valley quite a contrast as we met up with our blue and white comrades in a pre arranged bar, just down the road from the ground.

There was a good sprinkling of island based Sociedad fans, and a good few hundred of the all singing, all dancing peñas of CDT in our far corner of the ground, our police guard had swung from last years in your face close scrutiny to a more laid back, hardly interested approach. Super Mario made an appearance but had a rival in the “what planet am I on ” department, with a drunk, wobbly local who looked like an extra from a scouse soap.

A mintes silence was held before kick off for the 26 year old Espanyol captain, Dani Jarque, who died of a heart attack the previous day, and players wore black armbands. It was a young inexperienced line up for Tenerife, Airam and Angel led the attack, and their youthful enthusiasm gave Real problems in the first 15 minutes, Airam had a good shot saved. Sociedad looked strong and came more into the game while Dani Kome prompted CDT attacks from midfield.

The first half ended 0-0 but Sociedad came out strong after the break, and within 7 minutes some sloppy defence by CDT left Estudo to beat Aragonoses for a 1-0 lead. That sparked mas substitutions as Tenerife brought on 7 of the more experienced players, including Nino. It certainly spiced up the Tenerife attack, Nino and Richi both went close, but too many shots were going high over the goal. Late in the game Tenerife had a fierce shout for a penalty, but it wasn’t to be and the trophy went to Real Sociedad.

A much sterner work out for CDT against a side that should be one of the front runners to join Tenerife in the Primera. Many of the 4,000 crowd swarmed onto the pitch as both sets of players posed for photos with fans. As we headed back to the car, there was time to weigh up lessons learnt and the need for at least a couple more new players, certainly up front. Not a good end to the night for the few people who had parked in the shopping centre car park, only to find it now all locked up, thankfully we didn’t fall for that schoolboy error. It will be just over a week until we can see CDT v Lanzarote in La Laguna, in the meantime, they are off for a few more friendlies on tne mainland, and we will plan and ponder as the days tick down to the start of La Liga.

Bring me a postage stamp and a pen, I will write all I know about surfing on the back of the Queens head, still leaving adequate room for a small novel. Even after hours stood on my ironing board on the balcony, I have to admit to not having any of the skill and co-ordination of the many surfers who cut through the Tenerife waves with such grace and flair.

Mind you, that doesn’t stop me from admiring the talent of those that are at home on the foam, that’s why I headed from Adeje (see post below) to La Caleta for the 4th annual Canaries bodyboard competition. The timing was good, with the Virgen del Carmen fiesta in full swing this weekend, the sun baking, and most of all, the Atlantic throwing in some towering waves. La Caleta often has lively surf, and I noticed on arrival that Playa  de la Enramada was pleasing sun seekers and bathers with fair sized rollers, but between there and the old village of La Caleta, the best and biggest waves were right on schedule at one of the jagged rocky points.

The tight bunting adorned streets leading to the sea were packed with camper vans, and every homes terrace was the setting for a lively and colourful party to enjoy the twin pleasures of fiesta and sport. Fish restaurants cling to every rocky stack overlooking the sea, the surf judges had their own little canopy set up just in front of a fishy terrace, as competitors awaited their call to take to the water. A P.A system and fog horn blast kept each surfer informed of their time slot for each category.

Competitors each paid 20 euros to enter in the open, female, drop knee or local  category, with 2,000 euros of surf gear up for grabs as prizes. A 15 or 20 minute spell to impress sounds a fair bit of time but catching the right wave and then getting back into position for the next cuts that down considerably. The coast in this area is full of sharp outcrops of rock, next to the event zone, bathers relaxed in rock pools, but the surfers in just shorts and tshirts rose and fell, and cruised and crashed in the surf without troubling the Red Cross attendants with as much as a graze.

The finer points were lost on me , I’d be happy just to stand up, but for those who want to see the full results and look out for future events, try www.fcsurf.es  It’s back to the ironing board for me.

Even after a few months break, football fever is still gripping Tenerife, last night 4,000 fans packed into the Las Americas stadium to see CD Tenerife beat CD Marino 5-1. It was like the first day of a new term, as the Armada Sur gathered at The Royal Oak 2, just along from the ground, all full of hope and beer. This was the first friendly on home soil, a 3-0 win over Tenisca in La Palma on Friday got the ball rolling, but the raging fires meant the Sunday friendly over there was cancelled.

Normally this pre season game with CD Marino attracts a few hundred, but it was clear from the queues, this was going to be a bumper pay night for the Tercera division club. Another tradition was broken, normally the club bar runs out of beer fairly early on, but this time they were well stocked up and even had another makeshift bar set up at the side of the stadium. We didn’t have long to wait for an opening goal, just 4 minutes in, Juanlu put a cross in from the right and Angel fired it into the net.

Everyone was keen to see the first 3 new signings, Aitor Nunez was in the starting line up but it was Roman Martinez, our Argentinian recruit from Espanyol who made the first impression, combining with Angel to set up Omar for CDT’s 2nd goal after just 9 minutes. Reserve player Omar was definately grabbing his chance and added a well taken individual 3rd goal before Paolo pulled one back from an incisive breakaway. Angel closed the first half with a crisp strike from outside the area for a comfortable 4-1 lead.

The full moon shone down for the second half, and the pace slackened as Tenerife made wholesale changes, giving the whole squad a look in. Strangely, free scoring goal god, Nino was missing, sparking some frantic questions and shrugs among the faithfull, let’s hope there is no sinister reason for his abscence. New boy Belvis made his debut, I think we have already exhausted all the possible jokes about his name. Ayoze centred for Dani Kome to make it 5-1 and several more shots flashed past the home post before the final whistle.

Sunday night in La Orotava will provide a tougher test, as CDT face Real Sociedad. More good news for the club as the CD Tenerife B team have been promoted, despite losing out in the promotion play off final. Fuerteventura have major money problems and have been forced to drop a division, leaving a spot open for CDT B, who will now play in Segunda B, the 3rd tier of Spanish football.

Ouch, Raqui San Isidro football team, just inland from Tenerife airport,  have been slapped hard for the riot at the end of their promotion game at home a month ago.

They won 2-1 but it was not enough to wipe out the first leg score, tempers became frayed at the end and a mass punch up ensued, that ended with the Policia Local and Guardia Civil being called to split them up. The San Isidro ground will be closed for 3 months, and the 7 players sanctioned have racked up over 4 years of bans, led by Estaban Delgado with 8 months and a 228 euro fine. Oh, the name of the visiting team from Gran Canaria, is very aptly Teror.

Tom Daley may have won a Gold medal for diving at the World Swimming Championships in Rome, but I am equally impressed by the Spanish ladies synchronised swimming team,who have also scooped Gold. Their winning performance was to the rock classic “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zepplin, I bet that made the band proud. I believe synchronised swimmers perfect their facial contortions by clenching a one euro coin between their buttocks.

To be honest, I can’t get very excited about tennis, although Maria Sharapova does stir me somewhat. But even  a non fan like myself can see how great it would be for Tenerife, if a major Davis Cup match was held here. Last year Tenerife missed out on staging the mens semi final between Spain and U.S.A, as Madrid got the nod, but now there is a new bid in to put on this years semi between Spain and Israel, from September 18 to 20.

Yesterday, delegates from the Spanish tennis federation visited the proposed venue, the Antonio Dominquez football and athletics sadium on the edge of Playa de Las Americas to check out the facilities. Anyone who has seen football there or one of the many music concerts, may well be scratching their heads to see how it can work.

Two courts would be set up on the centre of the football pitch, with seating extended down from the terraces. The expected capacity for spectators would be 12,000 to 14,000 and would cost about 80,000 euros to stage over the 3 days. Against that you can look at television rights, advertising, and concessions for food and drink, bur best of all the prestige and tourism promotion for Tenerife. It seems unlikely that this bid will suceed, rivals Oviedo, Gijon, Cordoba, Tarragona and Zaragoza are strong contenders, but Tenerife was highly favoured for last years bid, and if they keep applying, their persistence should pay off in the next few years.The decision is made on 23 July – fingers and toes crossed.

Yippee, here they are, the CD Tenerife fixtures for La Liga 2009-2010, the route map of my life for the next 10 months. Not too upset with them, a fairly gentle start away to Zaragoza (they just signed Jermaine Pennant from Liverpool) then a weeks gap for International games, and the home debut on Sunday 13 September, or maybe the day before. This season more than any other, we will be at the mercy of the television companies, especially Canal Plus, who will move us late on for live coverage, usually at late kick off times, we even have 4 midweek games. 

AUGUST

30        Zaragoza                                      away

SEPTEMBER

      13      OSASUNA                                  HOME 

      20      Mallorca                                      away

      23      ATHLETICO BILBAO              HOME     WEDNESDAY

      26      Real Madrid                                 away

OCTOBER

       4       DEPORTIVO                              HOME

      18      Espanyol                                      away

      25      XEREZ                                        HOME

NOVEMBER

        1      Villareal                                       away

        8      MALAGA                                   HOME     

       22     SEVILLA                                    HOME

       29     Real Valladolid                            away

DECEMBER

        6      SPORTING GIJON                     HOME

      13      Getafe                                           away

      20      ATHLETICO MADRID             HOME

JANUARY

       3       Racing Santander                         away

      10      BARCELONA                             HOME

      17      Almeria                                        away

      24      VALENCIA                                 HOME

      31      ZARAGOZA                               HOME

FEBRUARY

       7       Osasuna                                        away

      14      MALLORCA                              HOME

      21      Athletico Bilbao                           away

      28      REAL MADRID                        HOME

MARCH

       7      Deportivo                                      away

      14     ESPANYOL                                HOME

      21     Xerez                                             away

      24     VILLAREAL                              HOME      WEDNESDAY

      28     Malaga                                          away

APRIL

       4      Sevilla                                           away

      11     REAL VALLADOLID                HOME

      14     Sporting Gijon                              away         Wednesday

      18     GETAFE                                      HOME

      25     Athletico Madrid                          away

MAY

     2    RACING SANTANDER                 HOME

     5    Barcelona                                          away        Wednesday

     9    ALMERIA                                       HOME

    16   Valencia                                            away

Meanwhile, there have been crazy scenes at the Heliodoro this week as the season tickets went on sale. On the first day , 3,000 tickets were sold and 2,000 fans were shut out as queues swamped the ticket office staff. It’s definately the hottest ticket in town.

A banquet of football will be served at Spains La Liga top table in the new season, today CD Tenerife fans found that it’s theirs to enjoy from as little as 11 euros per game. The new season ticket prices have been announced and although it has brought squeals of protest from the upper end of the price range, even percentage rises of 60% on last season mean that the dearest seats in the Heliodoro, are just 670 euros for 19 home games, that’s just under 36 euros per match, including Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Surely a mistake I hear you cry, no ( and don’t call me surely) I yell back with delight. CD Tenerife have been good to the loyal hard core of Peñas (fan clubs), we all gather in the Grada Popular end of the ground and our renewal season tickets will cost just 205 euros. There are no new season tickets either upstairs or down in that section, once the current holders have renewed, it will leave 40 % of the places up for grabs in the week before matches – you can bet they will sell mega fast. Your best bet elsewhere is the Herradura for 375 euros, 210 euros for under 16’s and 165 euros for over 65’s.

Match day tickets will be hard to come by this season, and the club are aiming to sell 15,000 season tickets before the action kicks off on September 13. Just to put these prices in some sort of context the cheapest prices for the new teams in the English Premier go from 441 pounds at Burnley,444 pounds at Birmingham and 643 pounds at Wolves.

Full price details are on the CD Tenerife club website or you can get in touch with The General , at chrisarmadasur@yahoo.co.uk and sort out your tickets and your new Armada Sur membership (20 euros), ready to enjoy the complete match day experience. Fixtures will be out on July 10, it’s a big season so get behind your local team, and don’t miss the tram.

Withdrawal symptoms are common this time of year for football fans, we have to get what crumbs of comfort we can. In that respect, yesterday was a good day, in the afternoon I went to the amphithetre above Siam Park for the Red Bull Street Style football competition.

This is an international competition that comes to a head next year in South Africa, just before the World Cup, and yesterday was the last of the 4 Spanish rounds. Four players would be selected to go, all expenses paid, to the grand Spanish final in Valencia on 29 August. The advertising tag for the event is “3 minutes, 2 players, one ball” the players started with individual rounds to eliminate a few and get in down to 6 finalists. Then they went head to head in a series of challenges to see who could do the best moves.

Now I know you are thinking, was I tempted to get up and show my own silky skills, sadlyI had a little twinge in my leg and had brought a sick note from my Mum to excuse me. The youngsters were all very good and did well not to wilt in the scorching heat, I had to leave before the end but will look out on the website for the progress of the competition.

Meeting The General and Neal and Karen (the Bournemouth section) we set off north to Santa Cruz to represent the Armada Sur at a very special function. Our Canarian terrace comrades the Frente Blanquiazul have a locale near La Paz which they use as a social club, and they had invited  CD Tenerife club captain and legend, Cristo Marrero, in order to pay tribute to him.

One of the best organised and most respected of the Peñas (fan clubs) the Frente live and breathe football and their “home” is a credit to them, strewn with souvenirs of many seasons of devotion.  Cristo is a local Tenerife boy, from Las Zocas, and what he lacks in talent he more than makes up for in heart, blue and white blood courses through his veins.  That dedication to CDT shows itself not just on the pitch, but in the way he always gets involved in social events run by the fans, and he was more than happy to come along and mingle with us supporters.

Speeches were given and presentations made, and the great man cheerfully posed for pics with us all. The plaque that was unveiled says “To Cristo Marrero, always our captain, who in defence of the colours of CD Tenerife has shown the qualities of the Canarian people, never to be forgotten, thanks for everything.” The Club have not renewed his contract but have said they will offer him a job at the club to make use of his popularity, enthusiasm and inspirational qualities, we look forward to seeing him around for many years.

We knew we were in trouble when The General started selling T shirts proclaiming CD Tenerife as champions. The other results had gone for us and a home draw was all that was required but Castellon hadn’t read the script and sneaked a 2-1 victory. The day was about so much more than just the game, and coach Oltra’s strange starting line up owed more to sentiment than logic. Club legend Cristo got a rare start for his final game and there was no place for Alfaro or Kome.

The biggest pre match cheers were for Cristo, hanging up his first team boots after 6 glorious seasons of pouring his heart and soul into everything he does for the club. Tenerife dominated the first half and should have been a couple of goals up within 10 minutes, Nino, Ayoze and Richi all spurned good chances. Cristo had the ball in the net after 19 minutes, and the stadium was ready to erupt but it was ruled out as the ball had already gone out of play.

Castellon had few chances and it seemed a matter of time until a home goal arrived, Cristo played a part when it did, setting up Nino to nip in and score after 41 minutes. This confirmed Nino as “pichichi” the divisions top scorer with 29 goals, a great achievement. Seven minutes into the second half Cristo was taken off for Alfaro, a chance to milk the richly deserved applause for a true local hero.

That was most of the boxes ticked for the night, time to put their feet up and relax, Tenerife didn’t just take their foot off the pedal, they got out of the car and went for a snooze in a layby. It all got a bit sloppy and casual, Castellon took advantage of the half awake defence to level via Arana after 55 minutes. That should have been a wake up slap for Tenerife but this was a deep sleep, the errors kept coming and even the introduction of Kome, the Whip of the Atlantic (see banner) couldn’t lash them into action. Alfaro and Iriome both missed late chances before the unthinkable happened on 90 minutes, Sampedro hit the winning goal and the championship was gone.

A bit of a let down, but after such a superb season, we can take this one on the chin. The crowd swelled onto the pitch at the final whistle and the slightly subdued celebrations began.  Cristo was carried round the touchline shoulder high and fans danced among the sprinklers that had sprung into life. There was some serious scavenging for souvenirs going on, chunks of turf were dug up, someone got the penalty spot, and a few people used lighters to burn off bits of goal netting, I tried to tuck the blonde security guard under my arm but she wasn’t having it.

Personally, I am so in awe of what the club has achieved this season, all on a small budget, everyone from the President down to Gladys the tea lady, should be bursting with pride. Next Sunday, the B team have the big final of their season at home to Sporting Mahones from Menorca, and a chance for promotion to Segenda B. The Armada Sur will run a coach is their are enough numbers, The General awaits your call. If anyone is after some natty t shirts, The General says he has a few of the “promotion” ones left, in fact he has a wharehouse full in Las Chafiras.

Hardly time to sober up before heading to Santa Cruz today for the official reception for the CD Tenerife team. The police and Guardia must love CDT, it was unlimited overtime as the forces of good took up key positions around the entrance to the capital. I met some of the Armada Sur up by Plaza General Weyler, it was heaving, but we found a good spot just down the road by the bridge over the Barranco Santos, and waited for the open top bus.

Cars bombed by, waving flags as the crowds swelled, and it was clear it was going to be a late start. TV Canarias had a camera in a helicopter keeping an eye on the progress of the bus from Los Rodeos airport to Santa Cruz, when the bus swung into view, the crowds went wild. The players were clearly loving the attention, sadly yesterdays hero Kome was missing as he was back on duty for Cameroon.

Having got a few pics, we dived through the back streets, stopping for a beer, before hitting the Plaza de España. It was heaving, a giant stage was the focal point of the attention, and many people were already in the lake. As the team bus arrived and the players transferred to the Cabildo balcony, fire crackers and smoke bombs went off adding to the party mood. The players, a little worse for wear, led the singing and the crowd gladly joined in. I left them to it after a few hours but it looked like another long night, still another party to go with the last game at home next week-it’s a hard life.